Shelly's Recipe

Apple Pecan Cake with Maple Glaze

Category: Cakes

3 medium apples
the juice and finely grated rind of one lemon
1 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar, packed
3 large eggs, beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon mixed spice
generous pinch of salt
1/2 cup pecan halves, roughly chopped
1/3 cup milk (buttermilk if possible)

For the glaze:
1 cup confectioners sugar (icing sugar)
4 to 5 tablespoons maple syrup (you may need slightly less or more)

Preheat the oven to 350. Grease a large Bundt pan.

Squeeze the lemon juice into a medium bowl. Peel, core and finely chop the apples, putting them into the lemon juice as they are chopped to prevent browning. Stir the lemon rind into the apples and set aside.

Cream the butter, granulated sugar and brown sugar together in an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs and vanilla. Sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt together and add it to the creamed mixture in two additions, beating the flour in thoroughly after each addition. The batter will be very thick at this point. Mix in the milk.

Remove the bowl from the mixer and stir the apples, lemon juice, rind and pecans into the batter until the apples and pecans are fairly evenly distributed. Again, the batter will be quite thick.

Transfer the batter to the Bundt pan. You will need to encourage it in, spreading it with a knife so that the batter is evenly distributed and the top is relatively smooth.

Bake for 45 to 55 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the cake comes out clean. Cool in the pan for twenty minutes and then remove the cake and cool completely on a wire rack.

When the cake is completely cooked, make the glaze.

Whisk the maple syrup gradually into the confectioner's sugar until a drizzle-able glazing consistency is reached. Drizzle the glaze over the cake, allowing it to dribble down the sides. Let the glaze sit for at least a half an hour to set before slicing the cake.